Driving-axle structure for motor vehicles



Sept 1, 1925.

F. H. BOGART DRIVING AXLE STRUCTURE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 30.1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1, 1925.

F. H. BOGART DRIVING AXLE STRUCTURE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Jail. 30.1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY (52W ATTORNEYS.

15 j; The primary objeet ofjthis invention is,

Patented Sejpt. 1, 1925. t

men n. roeimr, or GREEN BAY.-;WISGONSIN.

DRLVING-AXLE STRUCTURE ,non' MomoR REHICLES.

Application ,file d January 30, loge. se al ,nofsaagas.

To all. whom it concern."

Be itknown tha I, Eimi) .BOGART, a citie zenof the United fitates,residing at Green B, y, un y 9 BrQwmend St t .O W

consin, have: invented new and useful Iinffo i me st n.D r igAxl S rutur o and; associated meihanism, the said mountotor Vehicles; ,or whichthe 'followingis a spe ifica i n r r x This invention .relat'eswtoimprovements in dr v ng. ax e s uc ure f r m to v hicles. Moreparticularly it relatesto an axle construction especially, designed forthe m nt ngbfa lettri dri n n o the type discl0sed ;:inthe patent to:Krohn, No.1,032,068ofJuly,9,;l912., r q 1 to ro vide, arearaxle ho singwith an nter" 1.1a mou ting, tree f om .the stresses to which th ho s gli l iibj tedt d a pt to support the jsoeealled Krohn driving unit ing,being so connettedwith the; axle housng .that; *wearing' strainszandload strains will not-be tommunica d tm e d i ng unit-and.assooiatedparts, 1

.The :s'o-c'alled Krohn unit; which includes a drivin motor, :a set ofgITQdllCtlOIl ;g6tIl l1g, v

difi'erential gearing, and the associated portionsof thelive axles has,proven to be a highly successful devicefor theapplication of Figure 1.e

ofi'electric motive power to the driving axle of a vehicle. Butinta'ctual service, with these unitssupported.directly fro nthe walls ofhe h using. the units have become, darnaged, the bearings disali'ned,and the live axles [associated with such unitsh ve, in

some v i stances becom bent, or [p ss d o t of linegdlue to' theyielding or deflection of theiaxle .housin Junder-the-Joads to which ithas. been s11 j ected. 1 (Obviously, where this is done even theslightest deflection; of thethousing throws the-gmeehanisin out of lineand [causes rapidgdeterioration ,in the motor ,or its connections; ,Thediff culty is emphasized by: the mounting of any portion ofthe unit uponmthef central part of the, housahmmaximum; l

More .specificallyfstated,--therefore, it is the object of thisinventionto. overcome the difliculties heretofore experienced in thepractiealhuse-of; the:Kroh1i driving, unit, and it is propd ed toflp t'.S id unitmvithin the rear mxle housing in; suchn 'manner that, theyielding of the housing will not be trans.- mitted teeny p xti nfnftheKr hn un t or ing where the deflection ofthe housing to the live axlesTo. this end the unit ,is

mounted as aforesnid a shellor supplemen e ihousmg h h is suppe fr thload carry n housing by trunnions disposed in a horizont al plane atpoints near the ends of the enlarged portion of the housing.

Further objects ofthis invention are to provide a inounting ,for a motordriving unit within an axle housing, whereby said unitswill. bereildered not only instantly accessiblebut also quickly removable for eplacementor repair, to provide means, whereby, when repairs to the driving unit become necessary, -the entire unit: ,can be w tlidre nze d laby is simila unit,

an exceedingly short space of tiine, so

that the vehicle embodying this invention notliaveto rer'nainidlewhileitsdriving unit and related parts are being repaired; and to; provideneans whereby the supports ,of the driving .uni't nay be niachined-- ina 7 lathe, thereby ensuring accurac y and mechanically perfectalineinents at m ni m eta :Inthe dra ng housing and .internal shelleinbodying this invention, a porti n of the housing being broken-awaytojexpose saidshell.

Eigure 2isa section taken on ,1ine2-2 ,Figurefi ,is a rear elevation ofthe housing withj'its cover plfate, open and the driving mechanismWholly removed therefrom. .iFigure kisa, detaihview showing in plan one4 Of the plates which aids in supporting the shelLwhich carries thedriving unit.

* Figureb is a rearelevatioirupon an enlarged scale of a' driving unitandfits enclosing shell; as" used in connection with i thisinvention,'portions of the shell being broken away to exposeiheinteriornnechanism.

Like parts areidentified by the same ref-f erence characters throughoutthe 7 several views. 7

The hubofa vehiclewheeljs represented at '10 and a brake ,drum 11 isassociated therewith in the ordinary, manner. The hub 10v is journaledupon thetub ilar portion 12 Figurefl is ,a rear elevation of an-axle of?the axle housing l 3, and, the axle; 14. passes e ntre y thr ugh s i houing (and is Pr videdfahits end. withca plate 15 ,whichis bpitedgtothethub L0 r; t aw and serves 700 E -lmmi i thereto the rotation of thlive axe t -t i 'Imvillih .uoieda rem the glr vi s, g

particularly from Figure 3, that the axle housing 13 is cast in the formof a box, open at one side and provided at its ends with the integraltubular extensions 12 upon which the wheels are journaled. In the frontside of the housing, adjacent each end of its open portion, are theinteriorly projecting, soclreted studs of bushings 16 which are adaptedto receive trunnions 17 which support in part the shell or floatingframe 18 within which the driving mechanism is mounted. The plates 19,provided with corresponding bushings 20, are adapted to be bolted to thehousing in such a manner that the bushings 20 will register with thebushings 16. The bushings 16 and 20 are all in a horizontal plane whichincludes the axis of the housing. The trunnions 21 are supported in thebushings 20. Hinged to the housing 22 and adapted to close completelythe cavity therein is a cover plate 23, the ends of which overlap theplates 19. When closed, the cover plate 23 may be secured by any desiredmeans, such as the resilient clasping devices 2 1 which are best shownin Figure 2.

Each pair of trunnions 17 and 21 is carried by a collar 25 within whichis rotatably journaled the tubular end portion 26 of the shell 18. Thisshell is integrally supported from the tubular end portion 26 by aplurality of spaced arms 27. Between the arms 27 are openings throughwhich the air within the housing may circulate to cool the motor. Theseopenings also afford access to the brushes and commutator of the motor.whereby these elements maybe cleaned and adjusted without dismounting ordis-assembling the power unit. The commutator of the motor is indicatedat 30 and will be un derstood to be provided with brushes and electricalconnections in the usual manner. The showing of these connections andbrushes has been omitted to avoid complicating the drawings. Theelectrical conduits through which current is supplied may be led intothe housing 13 through the opening 9 therein.

In accordance with the disclosure in the patent to Krohn above referredto, the motor shaft 31 is tubular. It is supported at the end whichcarries the commutator 30 by a hearing 32 located within the tubular endportion 26 of the shell 18. It will be under stood to extend through themotor into association with the reduction gear mechanism shown in theKrohn patent, which is here designated in its entirety by the numeral3 1. It will be understood that by means of this reduction gearmechanism, the live axle shafts 1 1 and 35 are driven through a set ofdifierential gearing, here designated by the numeral 36. The live axleshafts 1 1 and 35 are squared at their ends, as indicated indotted'lines in Figure 5,, and maybe withdrawn axially from the axlewhen they are released by unbolting the plates 15 from the hubs 10 ofthe wheels. It will be understood that the live axle 14 is disposedwithin the tubular shaft 31 of the driving motor, and passes axiallythrough the reduction gear mechanism 3 1 into operative relation to thedifferential gear mechanism 36, in the manner disclosed in the Krohnpatent.

A web 37 within the portion 38 of the internal shell 18 providessuitable means for mounting the bearing 39 in which the tubu lar motorshaft 31 is journaled. Additional bearings for the so-called Krohn unitmay obviously be supported, as desired, from the shell 18. It will beclear that the driving mechanism which Krohn mounted directly within theaxle housing is in the present in vention disposed within the shell 18,which is in turn floated within the housing in such a manner that thetwisting or deflection of the housing can not be communicated in anymanner to the power unit.

It will be noted that the shell 18 is rotatably ournaled within theswivelled brackets made up of collars 25 and trunnions 17 and 21. So faras has previously been disclosed herein, the shell 18 would be free torotate within the axle housing 13 when the motor is operated. In order,therefore, to secure the shell 18 against rotation, so that the torqueof the motor may be applied to the wheels, the bolt or pin 10 isprovided. This bolt is threaded through the axle housing member 13 andis engageable within a recess 41 in the shell 18. Obviously. the pin &0will secure the shell against rotationwhile ,ermitting great freedom ofmovement of said shell relative to the housing 13.

It will be clear from the foregoing that this invention consists in theconstruction of a power unit to be removably mounted in an axle of thetype disclosed herein, and to be so supported within the axle that theweight of the unit will be carried, as nearly as pos sible, by thoseportions of the axle which normally carry the load of the vehicle. Inother words, the weight of the power unit in the device which forms thesubject matter of this application is carried by those portions of theaxle which are as near as possible to the wheels of the vehicle.Attention is further directed to the point already emphasized herein,namely, that the mounting of the power unit within the axle is such thatunder ordinary circumstances it will be impossible for any deflection ofthe load carrying axle to be communicated to the power unit in such away as to injure the mechanism therein.

This invention has also made possible the construction of power units asarticles of manufacture distinct from the load supporting axle of anyvehicle. Accordingly. the owner of one or more motor trucks,

tion, and a cover adapted to close the recess in the housing betweensaid removable plates.

13. In a vehicle axle, an axle housing provided with a longitudinallydisposed recess, a motor, transmission, and differential unit disposedwithin the recess, removable plates adjacent each end of the recess andcontributing to the support of said unit there in, and live axlesextending axially through said unit and through said axle housing intooperative engagement with the differential gearing of said unit, saidunit being removable from said housing by withdrawing said axle shaftsand removing said plates.

14. The combination with a load carrying axle, of an interior motorsupporting frame suspended within the axle by horizontally extendingconnections adapted to allow independent flexing movements of the axlein a vertical plane.

15. The combination with a load carrying axle, of an interior motorsupporting frame having its ends pivotally connected with the axle atpoints substantially in a common horizontal plane.

16. The combination with a load carrying axle, of an interior frame, endmembers rot-atably connected therewith, and horizon tally extendingpivot studs on the end members journaled in the axle to support theframe therefrom.

17. In a vehicle, the combination with a hollow load carrying axle, of aframe disposed within said axle and flexibly con nected therewith atspaced points whereby to be relieved of strains imposed upon said axle,and wheel driving connections carried by the frame.

18. In a motor driven vehicle, the combination with a load carryingaxle, of an interior frame provided with driving connections, and looseconnections between the frame and axle, said connections extendingsubstantially horizontally from the frame to the axle and adapted toallow independent yielding movements of the axle in a vertical plane.

19. The combination wth a load carrying axle, of interior collars eachhaving horizontally alined pivotal connection with the axle at therespective sides thereof, a frame having its ends journaled in saidcollars, an interior projection on the axle adapted to loosely engagethe frame to prevent rotation, and a power applying unit carried by theframe.

20. The combination with a non-rotative load carrying axle, of aninterior power unit suspended therefrom and free from the effect of loadstrain flexion of the axle.

21. The combination with a non-rotative load carrying axle, of a powerunit therein, a supporting frame therefor carried by the axle free fromthe effects of load strain l-lcxion of the axle.

22. The combination with a load carrying axle, of a power unit therein,a supporting frame therefor carried by the axle free from the effects ofload strain flexion of the axle, said frame being formed in sections,each annularly machined for mutual engagement and connection.

23. The combination with a load' carrying axle, of a power unit therein,a supporting frame therefor carried by the axle free from the effects ofload strain flexion of the axle, said frame having annularly machinedsurfaces for engagement with the power unit.

The combination with a load carrying axle, of a power unit therein, asup porting frame therefor carried by the axle free from the effects ofload strain flexion of the axle, said frame having annularly machinedsurfaces for engagement'with the power unit, and sections annularlymachined for engagement with each other, whereby all of said surfacesmay be fitted with mechanical accuracy.

25. The combination with a load carrying axle, of an interior frameflexibly connected with the axle at spaced points, wheel drivingconnections mounted in the frame and a live axle in splined relation tosaid connections and extending therefrom through said load carryingaxle, said live axle being secured only at its outer end whereby to befreely removable from said connections to permit the bodily withdrawalof said frame and the connections mounted therein.

FRED H. BOGART.

